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The modern HR manager does a lot more than payroll. With good workplace culture being recognized more than ever as key to productivity, these professionals are finding their skills in demand in many parts of the corporate structure, both private- and public-sector. With talent acquisition and retention becoming a pressing need as the first wave of baby boomers start retiring, someone who can find and hire the right people will continue to do well.

How to qualify: Increasingly a bachelor’s degree is a requirement; there are a range of post-grad college certificate options as well. Remember there are junior roles such as HR specialist to work through as well in order to reach management level.

Money: There’s a wide range in this field, depending on the size of the workforce you’re responsible for. Salaries for HR managers range from $32,000 at smaller firms all the way up to $150,000 at big, multinational corporations.

Opportunity: A generational shift is underway as millennials flood the job market and baby boomers begin retiring. That shift will require skilled HR specialists to navigate the changing landscape of labour, which may be why Employment and Social Development Canada forecasts flat growth for this occupation through 2022: the need for HR people looks more acute on the front lines of recruitment than at management level.